Carrying momentum from back-to-back wins, Racing Louisville hits the road for a 7 p.m. ET Saturday encounter with the Utah Royals at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
Saturday’s contest offers the Louisvillians several opportunities: climb higher in the NWSL table and set new club records for consecutive regular season league wins and total points and wins in a season. Racing currently sits in eighth place – playoff position – with five games left in the campaign.
Louisville’s first-ever trip to Utah will be broadcast on WAVE’s Bounce TV (channel 3.2). Fans can also stream the game live on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com. You can listen to the match on Talk Radio 1080 AM, online at talkradio1080.iheart.com or via the iHeart app.
Racing (6-8-7, 25 points) displayed resilience yet again in beating North Carolina, mounting a second consecutive comeback triumph. It drew the Louisvillians level with its single season home wins record set (5), and it ended a frustrating eight-game losing streak in league games against North Carolina.
The win followed up a 2-1 rally win over Angel City on Sept. 14. New addition Bethany Balcer scored in both games, including the winner gainst North Carolina, while fellow newcomer Janine Beckie scored vs. Angel City and rookie Emma Sears tied the game vs. North Carolina.
“For us to come back twice now, the group’s really jelling, but we’re going to take it one game day at a time and keep working,” said goalkeeper Katie Lund.
The hard-fought victory catapulted the Louisvillians back above the playoff cutline. Racing is now just three points back of seventh-place Portland Thorns and four out of sixth. Louisville is tied with Portland for the best goal differential (plus-1) of any club outside the top five.
Bev Yanez’s side faced the Royals earlier this season on April 20, trouncing the visitors, 5-1, providing offensive fireworks to match the Thunder Over Louisville air show and thrill a record crowd.
Four different players contributed to the goal tally, including star midfielder Savannah DeMelo, who scored two goals in a 10-minute span in the second half. Sears also scored her first goal in lavender in that game.
Utah (4-14-3, 15 points) has taken steps forward since regular season play resumed following the Olympic break. Though they’ve dropped their last three games — two against teams currently in playoff positions — the Royals were unbeaten in their previous four. They closed out the month of August by stringing together two straight victories for the first time this season.
Follow along …
- For the starting lineup and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. You can also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.
- The match will be broadcast on WAVE’s Bounce TV (channel 3.2). Fans can also stream the game live on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com. You can listen to the match on Talk Radio 1080 AM, online at talkradio1080.iheart.com or via the iHeart app.
Storylines …
Records meant to be broken: Racing is zeroing in on several new highs as a club. The Oct. 5 match against Kansas City should see Louisville surpass its previous best for total home attendance at Lynn Family Stadium, with average match attendance up 10.4% over last year. Racing has already set a club mark for goals in a season, with 30, and needs three more points in the final five games to claim the most points in club history. A win in either of the final home games of the year would set a new high for home wins in a campaign, too.
Newcomers showing out: Three of Racing’s newly acquired players – Bethany Balcer, Janine Beckie and Courtney Petersen – have made quite the impression. Balcer, who scored the game-winning penalty vs. North Carolina, has two goals and an assist in her first five games with her new team. Beckie scored the winner in the 68th minute against Angel City in a battle between two playoff hopefuls. Petersen ended the Carolina the match tied for the team lead in tackles won (2) and possessions won (5).
Instant sparks: Down a goal in the second half, Racing head coach Bev Yanez made two substitutes before the 70th minute – Maddie Pokorny and Emma Sears. Both delivered a lift, beginning with Pokorny who nearly registered Racing’s first score of the night in the 72nd minute. Sears went on to finish the job, taking advantage of a defensive error to equalize the contest in the 79th minute. Sears tied the club record for goals in a rookie season, with four.
I knew you were trouble: Thriving in her first season donning the lavender kit, Racing’s Taylor – Taylor Flint, that is – leads the NWSL in aerial duels won, interceptions and tackles won and ranks third in blocks – despite missing a game and a half through injury. She also has two goals and an assist this season and was named to the NWSL Best XI for March/April. The 25-year-old was once again a standout vs. North Carolina last week, leading the team in total interceptions (7) and tying for the team lead with five possessions won.
It’s Milliet Time: Lauren Milliet, the only current Racing player who played in the club’s first game, recorded her 74th consecutive start – and 89th straight appearance – on Saturday vs. North Carolina. The 27-year-old has played in all but 47 minutes since the start of the 2022 season, including an ironwoman campaign in 2023. No field player in the NWSL has started more consecutive games or played more minutes than Milliet since the start of the 2022 season. So far this season, she is one of seven players with at least 100 progressive passes and ranks 19th in passes into the penalty area.
Rock solid Lund: Goalkeeper Katie Lund has been a key reason for Louisville finding its stride at this point in the season. The Texas native has totaled at least four saves and an 80-percent save percentage twice in the last three weeks, and a key stop against North Carolina was nominated for NWSL save of the week. The 27-year-old is 32 saves off 300 for her career and one behind ACFC’s DiDi Haračić for ninth on the league’s all-time saves list.
Air Kiwi: The 34-year-old Abby Erceg moved into second in the NWSL in career minutes played, with 16,811, surpassing Seattle’s Jess Fishlock. The center back has started every game and played every minute for Racing since joining the club via trade from North Carolina ahead of the 2023 season. She has two goals and two assists in 43 league games with Racing.
Dynamic DeMelo: Savannah DeMelo cemented her place in Racing’s record books and is now setting the pace on numerous club highs. The 26-year-old is the club’s all-time leader for goals (14) and assists (6). Her next goal and assist would give her new single season bests in either category. The California native is the NWSL’s leader in free-kick goals among current players and tied for third all-time.
Heady play: Bethany Balcer’s finish against Angel City was Racing Louisville’s seventh headed goal of the season – the most in the NWSL. Orlando is the only other club with five or more. The headers have come from six different sources – Uchenna Kanu has two, as did former forward Reilyn Turner. Balcer, Ary Borges, Taylor Flint and Parker Goins all have scores from the head.
Uniquely Racing: Racing Louisville is a team with several standout notes. This is the only NWSL team to have NAIA products on its roster, and the club has two forwards in Bethany Balcer and Uchenna Kanu. Both were decorated players at the collegiate level, with Balcer winning national player of the year honors twice and a national championship at Michigan’s Spring Arbor University and Kanu breaking the NAIA single-season scoring record. The club also has the most Michiganders (Balcer, Marisa DiGrande, Courtney Petersen and Taylor Flint) and most Texas Tech alumni (Janine Beckie, Madison White and Kirsten Wright) on its roster.
Bahr none: How about that for an NWSL debut? For the first time in eight years, a player registered an assist and a goal in their NWSL debut, with Racing’s Elexa Bahr matching Houston’s Rachel Daly in 2016 with the feat. Bahr scored a magnificent opening goal in the season-opening draw vs. Orlando on March 16, chipping the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. She added an assist a few minutes later on Uchenna Kanu’s well-taken goal in transition.
